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Brief Synopsis

Shakespeare's classic about two pairs of lovers and an amateur actor who get mixed up with fairies.

Theseus, the Duke of Athens, who is preparing to marry Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons, finds his court full of romantic intrigue. Lysander and Hermia are in love, but Hermia's father Egeus pleads with the duke to force her to marry Demetrius, who also loves her. Theseus agrees that Hermia must obey her father's wishes or live the rest of her life unwed. Following the course of true love, Hermia runs away to the nearby wood to marry Lysander, but is pursued by Demetrius who is in turn followed by Helena, who suffers from unrequited love for him. Once in the woods, the lovers enter another court. Oberon, king of the fairies, is jealous of his beautiful queen Titania's affections for a small changeling boy stolen from an Indian king and enlists the devilish fairy Puck to steal the boy from Titania, giving him a magic love potion, which Puck uses not only on Titania, but on the mortal lovers as well. The love potion causes both Lysander and Demetrius to fall in love with Helena who now spurns them both. In the midst of the activity, a troupe of players, led by Quince, enters the forest to practice their parts. During the rehearsal, Puck turns Bottom, the egotistical leading man, into an ass, and Titania, under Puck's spell, falls in love with the actor. Oberon successfully kidnaps the changeling boy, but pitying Titania, reverses the spell. By dawn, Puck restores Lysander and Hermia to their original affections, leaving Demetrius in love with Helena. Bottom regains his manhood and all the mortals return to Athens for Theseus' wedding. There, on his wedding day, he overrides Egeus' will and gives Hermia to Lysander. Quince and his players entertain the court with their comic love story, starring the dim-witted Flute as the girl Thisby and Bottom as her lover, the ill-fated Pyramus. As the court slips out before the epilogue, Puck and the fairies fly into the empty palace to bid the mortals goodnight.